Envelop.



No. 697,97l. Patanted Apr. 22, I902.

s. A. BONNAFFDN.

ENVELOP.

(Application filed. Feb. 1, 1902.) (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Shad I.

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Patented Apr. 22, I902.

s. A. BoNnAFroN.

. E" V E L 0 P. (Application filed Feb. 1, 1902.)

3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

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No. 697,971. Patented Apr. 22, I902.

. s. A. BDNNAFFON.

E N V E L 0 P.

(Application filed Feb. 1, 1902.)

(No Model.) 3 Shsets-Shet 3.

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SAMUEL ASHTON BONNAFFON, OF ERIE, PENNSYLVANIA.

ENVELOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 697,971, dated April22, 1902.

Application filed February 1, 1902. Serial No. 92,214. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, SAMUEL ASHTON Bon- NAFFON, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Erie, in the county of Erie and State ofPennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Envelop, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention relates to certain improvements in envelops, and has forits principal object to provide animproved form ofdouble envelop from asingle blank out into proper shape and folded in such manner as to formtwo connected envelops, one situated within the other, either for thepurpose of additional security in mailing or to provide a return-envelopwhich may be used in answering a letter or for the return of samples ofmerchandise.

The invention further contemplates an envelop in which the inclosedportion may be in the form of a reply postal card or a lettersheetformed integral with the body of the envelop.

A further object of the invention is to so construct the envelop as topermit of the ready withdrawal of the contents of the outer envelopwithout injury thereto.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists in the novelconstruction of envelop hereinafter described, illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out in the appendedclaims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 illustrates an envelop-blank made inaccordance with my invention and illustrating in dotted lines thefolding-lines of the various sections and the location of thesubsequently-formed line of perforations or stitching placed at one endof the envelop for convenience in opening the same. Fig. 2 is aperspective View of the blank, showing the bottom and end flaps folded.Fig. 3 is a similar view illustrating the inner envelop folded down inposition within the outlines of the top and bottom and end flaps of theouter envelop. Fig. 4: is a perspective view of the completed envelop.Fig. 5 is a sectional view, on an exaggerated scale, through the openingend of the envelop. Fig. 6 is a plan view of a modified construction inwhich the main folding-line between the two envelop-sections is at thebottom instead of at one end, as in Fig. 1. Fig. 7 is a perspective viewshowing the blank illustrated in Fig. 6 partially folded to form theinner envelop. Fig. 8 is a similar view showing the inner envelop foldedwithin the flaps of the outer envelop, one of the end flaps of the outerenvelop being folded over the same. Fig. 9 is a detail sectional view,on an exaggerated scale, through the bottom portion of a completeenvelop formed from the blank shown in Fig. 6. Fig. 10 is a perspectiveview, partially in section, illustrating a construction of envelop inwhich the inclosed portion is formed integral with the envelop-blank,the inclosed portion taking the form of a letter-sheet or postal card.Fig. 11 is a perspective view of the envelop shown in Fig. 10 with theopening-strip removed and the inclosure partly withdrawn. Fig. 12 is asectional view, on an enlarged scale, through the open end of theenvelop and letter-sheet illustrated in Fig. 10. Fig. 13 illustrates, onan exaggerated scale, a line of stitching which may be employed betweenthe opening-strip and the body of the envelop to take the place of a rowof perforations and as an additional means of preventing injury to thecontents of the envelop.

Similar numerals of reference are employed to designate correspondingparts throughout the several figures of the drawings.

The blank is made of the contour illustrated in Fig. 1 and is divided bya foldingline 5 into two main portions, each of which when properlyfolded forms an envelop. The main or address section 6 of the smalleronvelop isseparated from its top,end,and bottom flaps 7,- 8, and 9,respectively, by the folding lines (indicated by dotted lines) and isconnected to the outer envelop-blank by a short section 1.0, extendingfrom the end line of the finished envelop to the main folding-line 5,this section to be subsequently provided with a row of perforations 11,which may be formed by stitching or otherwise. This row of perforationsextends parallel with the main folding-line 5 from edge to edge of theblank, being very close to the edge of a slit 12, which divides thelower flap of the smaller envelop from the corresponding flap of thelarger envelop, said slit extending from one edge of the blank to thefolding-line 13, which divides the central section 14; from the lowerflap 15 of the larger envelop, and being thence extended, as

indicated at 16, to the main folding-line 5. A short slit 17 is alsoformed from the juncture of the slits 12 and 16 to the intersectingpoint of the lower and inner end edge of the smallerenvelop.

18 indicates a folding-line in alinement with the inner end of the smallenvelop and eX- tending across the bottom flap 9 to form an end section19, which is folded inwardly and secured by gum or other adhesivematerial to the end of the central section 6 of the small envelop.

The main or central sections 14 of the larger envelop is divided fromits lower flap 15 by a folding-line 13, and similar folding-lines 20 and21 are arranged between its top and end flaps 22 and 23, respectively.The slits 12 and 16 form outside the main folding-line 5 a short endfiap 24, which is folded over on the lower flap 15 of the outer andlargerenvelop. The edge portions of a number of the sections may beprovided with adhesive material, as indicated by the shaded portions.

In folding the envelop the end flap Sis first turned down upon thecentral section 6. The section 18 is next bent inwardly upon thebottomfiap 9 and, together with the bottom flap, is folded down on the centralsection 6 and end flap S, the edge of the lower flap 9 being secured byadhesive material on top of the end flap 8 and the section 19 beingsecured by adhesive material to the inner end of the main section 6.This stage of the folding is indicated in Fig. 2.

The top flap 7 of the inner envelop being folded down to close theenvelop, the blank is folded on the main folding-line 5, as indicated inFig. 3, thus placing the completed inner envelop in position within thepartly-folded outer envelop. The end flap 23 is next folded down on theinner envelop, and the lower flap 15 and end section 24 are then bentover to the position illustrated in Fig. 4, the folding being thencomplete with the exception of closing the top fiap of the outerenvelop. The section 21 may be pasted down on the end of the centralsection 6 of the smaller envelop, if desired, or all of the parts may beunited at this point without the use of adhesive material by running aline of stitches over the end portion of the envelop, as indicated at 25in Figs. 4 and 13, or, in the event of pasting, a row of perforationsmay be employed to form a readily-removable end strip at one end of theouter envelop, said perforations extending also through the section 10of the inner envelop and serving when the strip is removed to divide theinner from the outer envelop.

In the finished envelop the top flap of the inner envelop is disposed atthe top of the outer envelop, so that the top flap 7 may be readilyopened to insert a letter or other object within said inner envelop,thus forming an additional protection to the contents.

To open the envelop, the end strip outside of the line of perforationsor row of stitching is torn off, separating the inner from the outerenvelop and permitting the ready removal of the contents. When the outerenvelop is thus detached, ashort projecting tab will be found at one endof the inner envelop, this tab being formed by the portion of thesection 10 between the row of perforations 11 and the line of the end ofthe envelop, as illustrated in Fig. 1. This tab in practice is of suchwidth as not to detract from the appearance of the envelop, although itmay be removed, if necessary, before the inner envelop is remailed.

In the construction illustrated in Figs. 6, 7, 8, and 9 the connectionbetween the two onvelops is at the bottom instead of at the end andsimilar numerals of reference are employed to designate partscorresponding to those previously described, the only change being inproportion of the various parts, one end flap of each envelop-sectionbeing enlarged to take the place of the large bottom flaps of the blankillustrated in Fig. 1.

In Figs. 10 and 11 I have illustrated a construction which may beemployed to form a combined letter-sheet and envelop or an envelop andpostal card, the letter or card sec-' tion being in the form of asubstantially rectangular section 6, forming an integral part of theenvelop-blank and which may be of the same size as the central oraddressed section of the envelop or may be made of a larger size andfolded into proper shape before be ing folded within the envelop.

In some cases the top flap 7 of the inner envelop may be made retangularin form in order to provide a docket or recording surface when the innerenvelop is used as a file-wrapper. This construction is illustrated bydotted lines 7 in Fig. 1, it being understood that the flap may be madeof any desired width for the purpose for which it is intended.

After the envelop is folded into finished form the perforations may bemade by dies or otherwise; but as a rule a row of stitching will befound more desirable, inasmuch as it will prevent the letter or othercontents from moving beyond the line of stitching into the space formedby the separable end strip, and thus avoid tearing the letter while theend strip is being removed. The lower stitching, moreover, may act as ameans for securing the end section 24 of the outer envelop without theuse of adhesive material and at the same time render the opening of theenvelop much easier.

The inner envelop may be used either for the purpose of insuring thesafety of the contents by providing a double cover, or it may be used asa return-envelop, the name and address of the sender being printed onthe inner envelop during the process of manufacture.

In some cases the rows of perforations may be formed at the same timethe blank is made and at the same operation, the cuttingdie beingprovidedwith a suitable number of alining cutting-punches for thepurpose.

While the construction herein described, and illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, presents the preferred form of envelop, it isobvious that various changes in its form, proportions, size, and minordetails may be made without departing from the spirit or sacrificing anyof the advantages of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is-- 1. As a newarticle of manufacture, a pair of integral envelops, one of which iswholly inclosed within the other, the outer envelop having a detachablemarginal strip, the removal of which will sever the envelops from eachother, and at the same time open the outer envelop and permit theremoval of the inner envelop.

2. As a new article of manufacture, a pair of integral envelops, one ofwhich is wholly inclosed within the other, the folding-line between thetwo envelops being midway be tween two rows of perforations which alinewhen the envelops are finished and form a detachable strip, the removalof which severs the envelops from each other, and at the same time opensthe outer envelop and permits the removal of the inner envelop.

3. As a new article of manufacture,- an envelop having an inclosedintegral portion,

said envelop and inclosure having an integral detachable marginal stripfor opening the envelop and for severing the same from said inclosure.

at. An envelop-blank comprising a sheet of paper divided byfolding-lines into central portions and marginal flaps for the formationof two complete envelops, the main foldingline between the twoenvelop-sections being located midway between two parallel rows ofperforations and the removable strip thus formed between the two rows ofperforations being so disposed as to form amarginal sealing-fiap for oneenvelop, and a connectingstrip between the two envelop-sections.

5. As a new article of manufacture, an envelop-blank having a centralfolding-line 5 dividing the blanks into two main sections, two parallelrows of perforations 11 and 25 being formed in the blank on oppositesides of the folding-line, thereby to form a detachable strip which maybe removed to sever the envelops without destroying the integrity of thesmaller envelop, said blank being so shaped as to form two completeenvelops of different size.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own Ihave hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

SAMUEL ASHTON BONNAFFON;

Witnesses:

lVIINNIE LEAH BoNNAFroN, J AMES W. ALLISON.

